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[Mordecai]

I've been playing tennis for many years but paid little attention to the mental aspect of the sport.  How I wish I did, but I guess it's never too late.

I hope to post mental toughness articles that I find online to this thread.  Hope it helps everyone else on their tennis journey. Keep coming back to this thread or if you wish feel free to contribute.

[Mordecai]

From: http://www.competitivedge.com/content/when-you-go-into-a-performance-with-expectations-you-will-always-come-out-with-disappointmen

WHEN YOU GO INTO A PERFORMANCE WITH EXPECTATIONS, YOU WILL ALWAYS COME OUT WITH DISAPPOINTMENT
Submitted by Dr. G on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 09:56.
One of the more common, yet costly mental mistakes that athletes make is to go into a competition carrying their expectations. "I want to win, beat this opponent, go 3 for 4, score 17 points, pitch a shut-out, prove to the coach that I should be the starter," etc. Your expectations and the fear that you might not realize them, i.e. the "what if's" will guarantee that you always play tight and tentatively, a mere shadow of your potential!   

Your expectations make the present performance too important to you. They will create a sense of urgency inside and pressure that you experience with self-talk like "I have to," "I've got to," "I need to," and "Oh my God, What if I don't?" This pressure will tighten your muscles, choke off your breathing and insure you under-achieve.

I got a phone call yesterday from a talented boxer who was struggling with a "mental block." Her block was an inability to box in fights the way she did in practice. When she sparred, she was loose and relaxed and executed the way she was supposed to. However, in the ring, under those hot lights and in front of an audience, she was way off, complaining about feeling slow, tired and ineffectual. Her won-loss record reflected this as she seemed to lose to lesser talented boxers.

Before each of her fights she'd think, "I have to win! I've got to beat this opponent! I need this victory to help me get a bigger payday and move up in the rankings!" All expectations! At times before she fought she'd tell her trainer, "Please, don't let me fail! Don't let me fail!" This kind of pre-performance focus on the outcome (i.e expectations) will always crank up the nervousness an athlete experiences and lead them to a very disappointing finish.

Your expectations have no place in a competition. NONE WHAT-SO-EVER!!!!! You need to get in the habit of leaving them at home whenever you step onto the court, course or field to compete. If performing well and winning is critically important to you, then the time to think about that and your expectations is when you practice. In fact, your expectations should be what fuels you to practice hard and consistently. Expectations, i.e. what you hope to accomplish are your source of motivation, like goals. This is their only constructive value.

When the pressure to produce is turned up high, your focus of concentration needs to be on what's right in front of you, in the moment and NOT on what's at the end of the performance, an expected outcome. Keeping your concentration in the moment will help keep you relaxed and loose, enabling you to pay close attention to the important performance cues as they unfold in the competition, moment by moment.

Go into a performance with expectations and I guarantee you that you'll come out of that performance with DISAPPOINTMENT. However, if you go into the performance without expectations, without a focus on the outcome of either what you want to happen at the end or what you're afraid will happen, then the emotion that greets you at the end is PLEASANT SURPRISE.

For me the way I apply this is I don't play to win, I play to learn.  Winning will come on its own.

[Fabs]

nice very informative!

[mikki_blinkme]

For me the way I apply this is I don't play to win, I play to learn.  Winning will come on its own.

korek!!! very very korek! kaya motto ko sa tennis e "improvement is better than winning".

pero yung mga "winning is everything" di nila to maiintindihan. sasabihin nila "pano ka magiimprove kung wala kang "will to win"". Hahaha! Pagtatawanan ko na lang sila. Akala nila kasi nasa ATP sila na may nagiisponsor na may pressure to win. Hahaha! 

[danmbuen]

bago ako magsimula magtennis nuon may nabasa ako mental book for tennis ...

[Mordecai]

Thanks for your interest on this thread guys.

Here's another article that's along the same line as the last one...

From: http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/sportspsych.aspx?articleid=1212&zoneid=20

Stop Thinking About Winning
October 16, 2007 - By John F. Murray

Wouldn't it be grand if there were a special world where every player won every match? In this tennis fantasyland, scores would be meaningless since every player would be crowned champion. If this is what you seek, hit the snooze button one more time. When you wake up and smell the Starbucks again, you'll remember that every player eventually loses except the tournament winner. In fact, without the risk of losing, your dream would be so boring it would keep you asleep! The challenge and uncertainty in tennis provides much of the thrill and an obsession with winning only hastens defeat.

Too much emphasis is wrongly placed on winning. This does not mean not wanting to win  far from it. That is why we play sports. But remember that there is also an opponent and that the most control we really ever have in a match over outcome is 50%. 50% is just as good as zero since there is never more than half control.

When NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner gave Joe Torre the ultimatum, “win against Cleveland or you are out,” media scurried to cover the “bad boss” element. I made the point that saying “win or you are fired” is the same as saying “flap your arms and fly or you are fired!”  Nobody can control winning, but everybody can control performance, and that is where the focus needs to remain.

Task-involved athletes focus on performance and display high intrinsic motivation, produce maximal effort, and persist longer across a variety of situations. Players emphasizing performance goals (e.g., higher percentage of first serves) over outcome goals (e. g., winning) retain more attention for the immediate task at hand. Getting wrapped up in thoughts about outcome only leads to distraction, anxiety, and pressure.

What you really want is to be sincerely fascinated with the many dimensions of performance. Staying excited about performance keeps you firmly in the present and guards against the loss of self-confidence that could occur when the next Rafael Nadal or Justine Henin rolls into your upcoming tournament.

Take a few seconds to recall the best performance of your life. You may not remember the details well because you were so completely absorbed in the moment. Expending energy dwelling on past mistakes or possible outcomes would have only spoiled this peak experience. Your focus on performance that day was admirable and winning took care of itself. This is where you want to be every match.

One way to remain focused on performance is to set short-term goals. These should include daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Start by investing in a small notebook or computer blog site which should be used to keep track of goals, achievements and comments. A rule of thumb is to set goals that you can achieve about 55% of the time. If you are reaching your goals more than 65% of the time set greater challenges. If you achieve your goals less than 45% of the time set them easier.

Make sure that your performance goals are specific, challenging, and realistic. Here are some examples of viable performance goals in tennis:

1. Increase your net approaches by 10 each set.
2. Increase your first service percentage from 55% to 70%.
3. Replace every on-court negative self-statement with a positive comment.
4. Lob the ball at least 50% of the time when in serious trouble.
5. Reduce your unforced errors by 5 per set.

Remember to set mental as well as physical performance goals. Self-knowledge is the key to setting intelligent goals. As you notice improvements in performance, don't be surprised if your opponents begin losing a little more often.

So stop flapping your arms to fly. Your best chance of flying is to focus first on performing.

[skywalker_1701]

Posted this in the Tennis Quick Tips thread before.  Here is another contribution of mine.

"The key to confidence and overcoming nerves is knowing you've already put in the work and prepared as best as possible."

[James Pacaba]

Great article.

I myself come from the "Marat School of Mental Toughness" so I really need this. Hehe.

[daryl]

try to watch john mcenroe and you'll learn

[mikki_blinkme]

try to watch john mcenroe and you'll learn

nakow di nila maapreciate yun. hahaha!

[jov]

try to watch john mcenroe and you'll learn

nakow di nila maapreciate yun. hahaha!

malalalim lang makakaintindi nun,    parang rock en roll lang yan eh 

[Fabs]

god sobra nga mental toughness ni mcenroe. sa outside nagmumura pero sa luob eh napa calm haha kahit bad trip na nananalo pa hahah.

[mikki_blinkme]

di lang fabs... mga kasabayan pa nya mga multiple grandslam champions chaka 3 pa silang mga rival. hehe.

[Mordecai]

god sobra nga mental toughness ni mcenroe. sa outside nagmumura pero sa luob eh napa calm haha kahit bad trip na nananalo pa hahah.

Yeah, some people think that McEnroe was so mentally tough that he still managed to win despite having his tantrums.  But actually, imagine if he was able to control his tantrums?  How much more could he have won?  Maybe Federer would be chasing McEnroe's records instead of Sampras'.

From: http://www.thespencepractice.co.uk/news/mental-toughness/

Despite having great talent and ability, John McEnroe never achieved the success of his main rival Bjorn Borg in the 70’s and 80’s. In my opinion, he was the most talented of the two but was very emotional on court, often taking out his frustrations on the umpires and line judges. Unfortunately emotions drain our energy and distract attention away from the job in hand.

[tenmirage]

Ganyan na ganyan ako. If I think of winning I lose. If I dont care I win!

Kaya ang ginagawa ko na lang ay laro na lang ng laro, don't care about the result!

[mikki_blinkme]

nice mordecai. tanong ko lang po kung may coach si mcenroe. kasi kung papansinin ko po lahat ng macthes nya puro parents lang nya at kaibigan ang nasa box nila chaka sabi sa documentaries wala daw syang panahon sa drills kaya wala daw syang inaaksyang oras ginagawa nyang praktis or training ang pagsali sa mga doubles.

pagtotoo tong hinihinala ko..... he's a true genius ever to play tennis.

[Mordecai]

nice mordecai. tanong ko lang po kung may coach si mcenroe. kasi kung papansinin ko po lahat ng macthes nya puro parents lang nya at kaibigan ang nasa box nila chaka sabi sa documentaries wala daw syang panahon sa drills kaya wala daw syang inaaksyang oras ginagawa nyang praktis or training ang pagsali sa mga doubles.

pagtotoo tong hinihinala ko..... he's a true genius ever to play tennis.

That's a good question.  I can't seem to find any info on that.  Wikipedia and other biographies online doesn't mention a specific coach for McEnroe when he was on tour, the only mention of a coach was the coach of the Davis Cup Team (Palafox) who supposedly took him under his wings.  Beyond that, nothing else.

He would be just like Federer then if that's the case, both geniuses in the court relying only on themselves.

[racketwiz]

Johnny Mac gives a lot of coaching credit to the legendary Harry Hopman. He hardly ever mentions Tony Palafox. Hopman engineered his serve/volley game in the image of the great Australians Laver, Rosewall, Emerson, Roche, Newcombe, Stolle, et al.

Contrary to the above-article’s reference to Mac’s emotions being a distraction and a hindrance, his emotional release actually helped him maintain his focus and raise his game when necessary. In matches where he had his emotional outbursts, I believe he won most of them.  The same was true of Connors and to a certain extent, Vitas Gerulaitis.  Ilie Nastase, on the other hand, was just plain nasty.

[Mordecai]

Tomorrow I get to play a challenge match against COMMANDER IAN.  We both wanted a challenge match so that we can practice playing under pressure.  Commander Ian was training with the great SLP so I feel the pressure even more because I'm sure he has improved a lot since the last time we played a long time ago.

Speaking of pressure, how do you handle pressure in a match?  How do you handle AD-OUT moments when you're behind in the set?  How do you handle serving for the set?  How do you handle tight matches towards the end?  It is times like this when pressure mounts to the highest level.  Frankly, I don't do so well during these times.

Here's an article for us to consider...

From: http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/sportspsych.aspx?articleid=1202&zoneid=20

It is unrealistic, and perhaps futile, to attempt to eliminate the natural competitive pressure and excitement caused by competition. However, studies suggest that the way an individual appraises stressful events determines whether the experienced emotion will be positive or negative. In other words, differences in the way players evaluate competitive pressure situations, rather than the situations themselves, explain why some athletes thrive while others dive!

Competitive pressure appraised as negative inevitably leads to unhealthy anxiety and less proficient tennis performance. In contrast, pressure welcomed as a necessary challenge of the thrill of competition guards against over-arousal caused by needless worries, increases attention to the task, at hand and improves overall performance. It’s a natural component of match play, which should be accepted and eagerly embraced in order to crush the demons of self doubt and anxiety—not to mention your opponent.

Here are some specific guidelines to help you manage competitive pressure more effectively in tennis:

- Play out many different kinds of points in practice. Training sessions should be as realistic as possible, with lots of competitive opportunities that mirror what might happen in the upcoming match. It is never possible to completely simulate center court at Wimbledon, but why not try?

- Do not allow your coach or practice partner to camp in one place on the court and feed balls all day. This is not tennis, and only ensures that you will look great in lessons and practice. It does little for your pressure management skills when the opponent will not cooperate like your coach.

- Play as many tournaments as you can to gain necessary experience in a competitive pressure environment. The only way to really learn to thrive on pressure is to experience it full force. There is no substitute for the real deal.

- Believe in yourself when the going gets roughest. Nervous energy is a natural part of the game. Trust your preparation, stay focused, and hang in there to win the internal battle. Interpret the excitement in tight situations as part of the test that makes you stronger in the future. What doesn’t kill you improves you.

- Welcome the uncertainty of competition as one of the most thrilling parts of the game. It never gets boring when you have a good struggle on your hands. Your ability to cope in adversity encourages creativity. Find joy in the struggle, and pressure will be an ally rather than foe.

Application question for us...

Do we welcome or look forward to pressure moments as a challenge that will improve us?  Or do we look at it negatively as something to fear and dread?

Apparently this is up to us.

[Fabs]

good luck to the both of you!!!

i notice that when i'm about to win or leading the match i tend to think. think about what you might ask, i think about anything the wind the sun the sound and then poof i'm about to lose the game, hehe. my mental toughness in this case collapsed, hehe.

[Mordecai]

Well, that was an interesting singles match namin ni Commander Ian.  Anyone who saw our match I think could tell mental toughness was a HUGE factor.  Ian and I were struggling with our mental game during the match.  Halatang pigil ang palo namin because of the pressure of our ladder challenge match, as compared to the relaxed doubles match we played just before we played our singles match.

The conditions were a bit rough for me, pressured na nga mentally medyo running low in light pa as the evening drew near.  Then there's the fast hard court I have not fully adjusted to yet since I'm used to shell courts.  All of that combined got to my nerves as the errors piled on.  YOu could tell from the body language.

I tried my best to hang in there mentally and not give up on the match even though I was behind 6-3 at one point I think as the errors kept coming from my tentative play.  I just tried hard to forget the score and the errors and thought to myself it's just a reflection of your performance, just focus on the task at hand, the ball and getting in position to hit it, improve performance and hopefully the score will reflect it.

Well somehow I mustered enough to get to the tiebreak at 7-7.  It was still close but I was playing a little better, a little more confident, even though my strokes was still a bit tentative, masyadong ingat.  I got lucky this time, I got away with 8-5 in the tiebreaker.  It was an ugly win.  Had Ian been a little more confident and relaxed in his game, I would have gone home a little more disappointed.

Tama si Ian, we should play more pressured-filled challenge matches for the online ladder or even in tournaments so we can get more used to playing under pressure and get stronger mentally.

Anyone for a ladder challenge match???

[Fabs]

wow nice game heheh. the qc boys are back!!!

[daryl]

i'm in for a ladder match..

[burosky]

May mga drill din na puwedeng gawin para ma-practice ang mental toughness.  Heto ang isang halimbawa.

Player A and Player B plays a set where only Player A serves and Player B always receives.  Regular scoring or to add more pressure make it no-ad scoring/receiver's choice.  Ang rule, oras na ma-break si Player A tapos na ang laban.  Kung gustong mag second set, baliktad naman.

[Mordecai]

Thanks for this mental toughness practice drill BUROSKY...

May mga drill din na puwedeng gawin para ma-practice ang mental toughness.  Heto ang isang halimbawa.

Player A and Player B plays a set where only Player A serves and Player B always receives.  Regular scoring or to add more pressure make it no-ad scoring/receiver's choice.  Ang rule, oras na ma-break si Player A tapos na ang laban.  Kung gustong mag second set, baliktad naman.

[mikki_blinkme]

nice tip! kaso kahit gustuhin ko yan gusto ng mga players e standard spectators' tennis scoring. haha!

[Mordecai]

nice tip! kaso kahit gustuhin ko yan gusto ng mga players e standard spectators' tennis scoring. haha!

Yeah, I think this tip is meant for private practice with someone willing to do it.  I like it because it puts pressure on you to try to hold serve as long as you can.  But I think after a while though masasanay ka na rin mentally na "it's just a game" so parang mawawala rin a pressure.  Kasi parang kung walang mawawala sa yo walang pressure eh.  But I will definitely try this tip still.

[mikki_blinkme]

nice tip! kaso kahit gustuhin ko yan gusto ng mga players e standard spectators' tennis scoring. haha!

Yeah, I think this tip is meant for private practice with someone willing to do it.  I like it because it puts pressure on you to try to hold serve as long as you can.  But I think after a while though masasanay ka na rin mentally na "it's just a game" so parang mawawala rin a pressure.  Kasi parang kung walang mawawala sa yo walang pressure eh.  But I will definitely try this tip still.

mahirap magkaroon ng ganitong partner... hehehe! kung magkaroon man swerte.

[RafaRen]

maganda lage may carga ang labanan..,lagyan natin ng 1 case ng beer evry game..,ahehehe...,tournament lang kahit minor lang..,makakatulong na ang makipag laro sa mga high level..,kuya buroyski play tayo po minsan..,ahehehe

[burosky]

maganda lage may carga ang labanan..,lagyan natin ng 1 case ng beer evry game..,ahehehe...,tournament lang kahit minor lang..,makakatulong na ang makipag laro sa mga high level..,kuya buroyski play tayo po minsan..,ahehehe

paminsan minsan magandang maglaro ng may karga pero kung lagi, sugal na yon.   

bukod doon, maaari din makasama sa laro mo kung laging may karga kasi ang tendency mo ay gawin ang lahat para manalo.  kasama na dyan ang mag-ingat sa palo.  kapag ganyan ang situasyon bumabagal ang improvement ng player.

puwede tayong maglaro any time kung gusto mo.  kailan ka puwede?  teka.  nasaan ka ba?  nandito ako sa california.

[jov]

maganda lage may carga ang labanan..,lagyan natin ng 1 case ng beer evry game..,ahehehe...,tournament lang kahit minor lang..,makakatulong na ang makipag laro sa mga high level..,kuya buroyski play tayo po minsan..,ahehehe

paminsan minsan magandang maglaro ng may karga pero kung lagi, sugal na yon.   

bukod doon, maaari din makasama sa laro mo kung laging may karga kasi ang tendency mo ay gawin ang lahat para manalo.  kasama na dyan ang mag-ingat sa palo.  kapag ganyan ang situasyon bumabagal ang improvement ng player.

puwede tayong maglaro any time kung gusto mo.  kailan ka puwede?  teka.  nasaan ka ba?  nandito ako sa california.

yes i agree

[johncsconigliaro]

Well, that was an interesting singles match namin ni Commander Ian.  Anyone who saw our match I think could tell mental toughness was a HUGE factor.  Ian and I were struggling with our mental game during the match.  Halatang pigil ang palo namin because of the pressure of our ladder challenge match, as compared to the relaxed doubles match we played just before we played our singles match.

The conditions were a bit rough for me, pressured na nga mentally medyo running low in light pa as the evening drew near.  Then there's the fast hard court I have not fully adjusted to yet since I'm used to shell courts.  All of that combined got to my nerves as the errors piled on.  YOu could tell from the body language.

I tried my best to hang in there mentally and not give up on the match even though I was behind 6-3 at one point I think as the errors kept coming from my tentative play.  I just tried hard to forget the score and the errors and thought to myself it's just a reflection of your performance, just focus on the task at hand, the ball and getting in position to hit it, improve performance and hopefully the score will reflect it.

Well somehow I mustered enough to get to the tiebreak at 7-7.  It was still close but I was playing a little better, a little more confident, even though my strokes was still a bit tentative, masyadong ingat.  I got lucky this time, I got away with 8-5 in the tiebreaker.  It was an ugly win.  Had Ian been a little more confident and relaxed in his game, I would have gone home a little more disappointed.

Tama si Ian, we should play more pressured-filled challenge matches for the online ladder or even in tournaments so we can get more used to playing under pressure and get stronger mentally.

Anyone for a ladder challenge match???

I think this is the most sensible post ive read so far in the thread. If we want to get better we should start piling up matches under our belt to develop mental control. 

[Fabs]

siguro gumana yung mental toughness ko nung isang laban down by 2 games 5-3 raise to 6 nag  tie break pa, i pulled through, tsk tsk tsk hard earned win some say otherwise, hehe

[burosky]

Curious lang ako.  Ano ba ang definition niyo ng "mental toughness"?  Tungkol lang ba ito sa mga may kaba habang nakikipagcompete?  Lahat naman ng tao may kaba.  Kung wala kang kaba, ibig sabihin noon, bali wala sa 'yo yung laban.  Ang tanong ay kung paano mo maaalpasan yung kaba mo.  Palagay ko, dito pumpasok ang kahalagahan ng drills.  Gaya ng kahit anong gawin mo na may halaga sa 'yo, natural na kabahan ka dahil sa kagustuhan mong makuha ang resultang gusto mo.  Halimbawa mo, isang duktor (lalo na yung nag-oopera).  Sigurado ko na kahit ilang beses ng nag-opera, may kaba pa rin sa bawat umpisa.  Pero kapag nagsimula ng mag-take over yung training niya, tuloy-tuloy na ang operasyon dahil pamilyar na siya sa situasyon at alam na niya ang kailangan gawin.  Nagiging denumero ang galaw at halos hindi na nag-iisip.  Kung ikukumpara mo ito sa tennis (oo hindi kasing importante ang ginagawa ng duktor  ), pareho din yan.  Kung sa training mo meron kang mga drill na nag-sisimulate ng match conditions, matatanggal din ang kaba mo dahil pamilyar ka na sa situasyon at dahil din dito, alam mo na ang kailangan mong gawin.  Ang goal mo sa training at drill ay maging automatic lahat ito para kapag napunta ka sa situasyon na iyon, hindi mo na kailangan mag-isip kung ano ang gagawin.  Sa basketball ganoon din.  Kapag lamang ang kalaban ng isa at 3 seconds na lang, hindi ba kadalasan tumatawag ng time-out ang coach para pagusapan ang play na gagawin?  Kung hindi sila nag-papractice ng play para sa mga situasyon na ganito, sigurado lahat ng player may kaba dahil hindi nila alam ang gagawin. 

Nakakatulong ang maglaro ng maglaro ng matches.  Pero naniniwala din ako na hanggat hindi ka nag-didrill para sa mga situasyon na ito, either matatagalan ka bago ka mawalan ng kaba o hindi maaalis ang kaba mo.  Kung hindi mo ito pag-aaralan, pareho ng pareho ang gagawin mo sa situasyon na ganoon.  Kung pareho ng pareho ang ginagawa mo, paano ka mag-eexpect ng ibang resulta?

[commander ians]

Cguro ganito lang yan. You can call yourself mentally tough if you can keep your mind silent and free from distractions. Kasi isip lang naman ang nagkokontrol sa puso at emotions. If your mind is silent wlang pakialam ang puso kahit matalo k , manalo, nagdouble fault etc. hindi k kakabahan, you just play your game.

[mikki_blinkme]

wala tlg akong alam dyan sa toughness na yan e di pa nga ako tapos sa basics e. hahaha! off day este off year pa rin. 

[Mordecai]

Curious lang ako.  Ano ba ang definition niyo ng "mental toughness"?  Tungkol lang ba ito sa mga may kaba habang nakikipagcompete?  Lahat naman ng tao may kaba.  Kung wala kang kaba, ibig sabihin noon, bali wala sa 'yo yung laban.  Ang tanong ay kung paano mo maaalpasan yung kaba mo.  Palagay ko, dito pumpasok ang kahalagahan ng drills.  Gaya ng kahit anong gawin mo na may halaga sa 'yo, natural na kabahan ka dahil sa kagustuhan mong makuha ang resultang gusto mo.  Halimbawa mo, isang duktor (lalo na yung nag-oopera).  Sigurado ko na kahit ilang beses ng nag-opera, may kaba pa rin sa bawat umpisa.  Pero kapag nagsimula ng mag-take over yung training niya, tuloy-tuloy na ang operasyon dahil pamilyar na siya sa situasyon at alam na niya ang kailangan gawin.  Nagiging denumero ang galaw at halos hindi na nag-iisip.  Kung ikukumpara mo ito sa tennis (oo hindi kasing importante ang ginagawa ng duktor  ), pareho din yan.  Kung sa training mo meron kang mga drill na nag-sisimulate ng match conditions, matatanggal din ang kaba mo dahil pamilyar ka na sa situasyon at dahil din dito, alam mo na ang kailangan mong gawin.  Ang goal mo sa training at drill ay maging automatic lahat ito para kapag napunta ka sa situasyon na iyon, hindi mo na kailangan mag-isip kung ano ang gagawin.  Sa basketball ganoon din.  Kapag lamang ang kalaban ng isa at 3 seconds na lang, hindi ba kadalasan tumatawag ng time-out ang coach para pagusapan ang play na gagawin?  Kung hindi sila nag-papractice ng play para sa mga situasyon na ganito, sigurado lahat ng player may kaba dahil hindi nila alam ang gagawin. 

Nakakatulong ang maglaro ng maglaro ng matches.  Pero naniniwala din ako na hanggat hindi ka nag-didrill para sa mga situasyon na ito, either matatagalan ka bago ka mawalan ng kaba o hindi maaalis ang kaba mo.  Kung hindi mo ito pag-aaralan, pareho ng pareho ang gagawin mo sa situasyon na ganoon.  Kung pareho ng pareho ang ginagawa mo, paano ka mag-eexpect ng ibang resulta?

Thanks for the input BUROSKY.  I've heard that analogy before about doctors being so trained in their craft that they don't need to get nervous much when they have to do their work, although it was used for the nervousness in public speaking but the point is still the same.  I think however that tennis is quite different from that.

For one thing there is no "opponent" for a doctor that tries to get him to commit an error, or that tries to hit at his weakness.  A doctor simply does his/her work on a passive patient.  I think the doctor analogy would work only on simple tennis tasks, for example serving, so I would say Dr. Pete Sampras would be the "doctor of serving".  Maybe Dr. Pat Rafter would be the "doctor of serve and volley".  I'm just saying the analogy would work better if looked in that view.  There is a reason practicing medicine is not considered a sport.

You see I define "mental toughness" as the ability to block out all distractions and focus on the task at hand.  In sports there are many distractions that get in the way, from the score, to the rowdy crowds, the unforced errors, the environmental conditions...many things.  But the best and the champions are able to blocks those things out mentally (hence mentally tough) and perform at the highest level their skills will allow.

Yung kaba natural lang talaga yun, even Federer and the pros admit to having them.  But when the game is on, it's the ability to put that aside mentally that separates the men from the boys.

[burosky]

I guess I didn't make my point clear enough.  The only point I'm trying to make is mental toughness can be acquired through training and drills.

Sure, there are some who are just "born" with it.  For us less fortunate, simulating situations that require mental toughness during training or drills allows us to learn this important attribute.  It is common to see veteran players appear calm and collected during high stress situations.  Why?  Because they've "been there, done that".  For those who do not want to wait long to get that experience, they can incorporate those situations when they practice so when they actually happen in a match they are not in unfamiliar territory.  Being familiar with the situation allows one to focus better because if you've experienced the same distractions before it becomes less of a distraction to the point where you can ignore them completely.

[Mordecai]

I guess I didn't make my point clear enough.  The only point I'm trying to make is mental toughness can be acquired through training and drills.

Sure, there are some who are just "born" with it.  For us less fortunate, simulating situations that require mental toughness during training or drills allows us to learn this important attribute.  It is common to see veteran players appear calm and collected during high stress situations.  Why?  Because they've "been there, done that".  For those who do not want to wait long to get that experience, they can incorporate those situations when they practice so when they actually happen in a match they are not in unfamiliar territory.  Being familiar with the situation allows one to focus better because if you've experienced the same distractions before it becomes less of a distraction to the point where you can ignore them completely.

I definitely agree that mental toughness CAN and SHOULD BE incorporated during practice/training sessions.  Unfortunately, the tendency of most lower level players is just to focus on the physical aspect of the game, developing shot strokes and learning game tactics, but very little on handling the mental pressures of a match.

For me, to simulate high pressure situation during practice I would suggest na "kargahan" ang practice.  Meaning, place some kind of consequence (the more unpleasant the better) on yourself when something is not achieved or if you lose.  And no, I'm not just talking about pustahan here.  Here's an example for all of us non-pros, i.e. recreational players...

On Saturday mornings I usually play some tennis with my group, usually pustahan lang naiisip ng mga tao para ma-pressure but there are other options, for instance if you lose you can also make yourself run 20 times (whatever would be unpleasant for you) around your neighborhood, or maybe you can wash the winner's car, hehe.  Think of something unpleasant but beneficial.  The good thing with the running is it will help with your stamina, and the car washing might actually improve your tennis arm (wax on/wax off...hehehe).  They key though with this suggestion is self-DISCIPLINE.

So next time you go out with your friends to play some sets, improve your mental toughness by putting pressure on yourself by having unpleasant but beneficial consequences afterwards that you will follow through on.

[edreams11]

I guess I didn't make my point clear enough.  The only point I'm trying to make is mental toughness can be acquired through training and drills.

Sure, there are some who are just "born" with it.  For us less fortunate, simulating situations that require mental toughness during training or drills allows us to learn this important attribute.  It is common to see veteran players appear calm and collected during high stress situations.  Why?  Because they've "been there, done that".  For those who do not want to wait long to get that experience, they can incorporate those situations when they practice so when they actually happen in a match they are not in unfamiliar territory.  Being familiar with the situation allows one to focus better because if you've experienced the same distractions before it becomes less of a distraction to the point where you can ignore them completely.

I definitely agree that mental toughness CAN and SHOULD BE incorporated during practice/training sessions.  Unfortunately, the tendency of most lower level players is just to focus on the physical aspect of the game, developing shot strokes and learning game tactics, but very little on handling the mental pressures of a match.

For me, to simulate high pressure situation during practice I would suggest na "kargahan" ang practice.  Meaning, place some kind of consequence (the more unpleasant the better) on yourself when something is not achieved or if you lose.  And no, I'm not just talking about pustahan here.  Here's an example for all of us non-pros, i.e. recreational players...

On Saturday mornings I usually play some tennis with my group, usually pustahan lang naiisip ng mga tao para ma-pressure but there are other options, for instance if you lose you can also make yourself run 20 times (whatever would be unpleasant for you) around your neighborhood, or maybe you can wash the winner's car, hehe.  Think of something unpleasant but beneficial.  The good thing with the running is it will help with your stamina, and the car washing might actually improve your tennis arm (wax on/wax off...hehehe).  They key though with this suggestion is self-DISCIPLINE.

So next time you go out with your friends to play some sets, improve your mental toughness by putting pressure on yourself by having unpleasant but beneficial consequences afterwards that you will follow through on.

great tip pards! napaisip tuloy ako ng ibang consequences e.. ill get your racket pag natalo ka, or palit kotse 

[Mordecai]

How are you guys enjoying the Australian Open this year?  The men's field looks strong, I think it will be a very difficult tournament for Federer.

Speaking of Federer just read an article in the Australian Open website talking about his "weapon of choice".  While I've seen the great Federer meltdown several times mentally in the past (French Open Finals against Nadal come to mind and that U.S. Open final against Del Potro last year), I do agree with the article that what separates Federer from most of the field is his mental toughness.

Here's an excerpt of the article.

From: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2010-01-25/201001251264387795140.html

Weapon of Choice

In tennis, you need a weapon. Fernando Gonzalez’s weapon is his forehand. Andy Roddick wields his serve like a rocket launcher, and Justine Henin has a backhand that can put an ‘L’ next to a player’s name quicker than the petite Belgian can yell “Allez!”.

But what is Roger Federer’s weapon of choice? The world No.1 is pretty damn good at, well, everything. But he does have a weapon that perhaps isn’t as obvious as a killer forehand or lightning court coverage. Federer’s biggest weapon is, arguably, all in his mind.

 ...

But how does he do it? Talent is only part of the equation. To come back after losing his coveted Wimbledon title to Nadal in 2008 and the No.1 spot with it, to withstand the force of the next wave of contenders pushing from behind in 2009, and to keep winning on a tour that takes no prisoners and gives players little rest between seasons takes a strength of mind and resolve that few can match.

“He is in charge of his mind; physical work makes the psychological side of his game stronger,” said Federer’s conditioning coach, Pierre Paganini.

“There are many links between body and mind, but there are also links between the way you play and your mind as a whole.”

The man himself agrees. “I think you definitely need it [mental strength] to stay at the top of the rankings for so long,” Federer says.

“You have to be mentally strong to be at the top no matter – regardless of the player you are ... I know I’ve got the game, and this is very important that you know that you have it.”

It’s been well documented that what is now Federer’s greatest strength was once his greatest weakness.

“He was going nuts on the court; if you look at him now you can’t believe it,” said friend and Swiss Davis Cup player Yves Allegro.

“I was very bad when I was young, to be honest. I always had a tough time being consistently strong mentally,” explained Federer.

“I would always have these lapses where I would get very disappointed, very angry, very sad. I would go through an emotional rollercoaster all the time.

“And this is what I think the other players always expected me to do. They would say ‘if you stay on top of Roger, eventually he will let go or he will have these 10 minutes where he won’t be able to control himself’.”

Former world No.1 and dual US Open champion Pat Rafter played Federer three times early on in Federer’s career, with the Australian taking the honours on each occasion.

“He just hadn’t developed,” said Rafter. “He needed to get the experience on the tour. He had to become tougher mentally, and that happened over those couple of years; he became better and better.”

And as he built up his mind to be as sharp and strong as a bear trap, the victories started to come, tons of them.
...

The lesson for us mere mortals?  If Federer needed to learn mental toughness, who in the world are we to ignore it in our personal game development?

[mikki_blinkme]

hehe. buti pa kayo nasa stage na ng mental game. ako wala pa. master the basics pa rin ako. hehe.

[Mordecai]

hehe. buti pa kayo nasa stage na ng mental game. ako wala pa. master the basics pa rin ako. hehe.

On the contrary MIKKI, if I had it to do over again I would put equal emphasis on my physical strokes and my mental skills when I started playing tennis.  Sadly, most of us starting playing tennis just focused on hitting the ball.  But tennis is so much more than that.  I highly recommend that you start working on mental skills and handling pressure even now.  You will develop much faster and reap more benefits later on as you develop as a player.

[mikki_blinkme]

hehe. buti pa kayo nasa stage na ng mental game. ako wala pa. master the basics pa rin ako. hehe.

On the contrary MIKKI, if I had it to do over again I would put equal emphasis on my physical strokes and my mental skills when I started playing tennis.  Sadly, most of us starting playing tennis just focused on hitting the ball.  But tennis is so much more than that.  I highly recommend that you start working on mental skills and handling pressure even now.  You will develop much faster and reap more benefits later on as you develop as a player.

yep tnx. hhmmm... siguro di ko alam kung ano ba tlg yang mental game na yan. sa singles match madalas ginagawa mo gumagawa ng patterns attack the short ball then approach the net. i dont know im just prakticing all the types of shots in simlation style. ang pressure ko sa sarili ko dapat mgawa ko dapat ang goal ko ng consistent. di ko alam kung part yun ng mental game.

[Mordecai]

yep tnx. hhmmm... siguro di ko alam kung ano ba tlg yang mental game na yan. sa singles match madalas ginagawa mo gumagawa ng patterns attack the short ball then approach the net. i dont know im just prakticing all the types of shots in simlation style. ang pressure ko sa sarili ko dapat mgawa ko dapat ang goal ko ng consistent. di ko alam kung part yun ng mental game.

Yung patterns that you mentioned those are strategies and tactics of tennis, pero mahirap gawin yan during pressure situation na in a match, you need mental toughness to execute them well.  Siguro kung hanggang recreation lang talaga tennis mo and you don't have any plans to join competitive tournaments then I guess okay lang not to consider the mental aspect of the game and just play for the fun of it.

But if you want to be a little bit serious then paying attention to your mental game now while you're starting will pay you dividends later on.  So ano nga ba ang mental toughness?  I found a good definition here...

From: http://www.mascsa.psu.edu/dave/Mental-Toughness.pdf

Definition: Mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

• Generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (e.g., competition, training, lifestyle) that are placed on you as a performer
  
• Specifically, to be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, resilient, and in control under pressure

Determination, focus, confidence, etcetera...those are things daw that we will have if we are mentally tough.  So HOW do we get them?  Simply pay attention on how you're thinking now when you play.  Even as beginners we can start improving on these areas...ask yourself what you do when these things happen in a game...

1. When you commit errors during a game, do you talk negatively to yourself?  Train yourself to replace them with positive affirming self-talk instead.
2. Do you get intimidated by "stronger" opponents? You need to get a different mental perspective and see it as an opportunity to learn rather than a inevitable loss to be dreaded.
3. When your girlfriend or someone unexpected shows up while you're playing do you get distracted?  Paano kung nag-iingay si Moonaster sa background? You need to learn focus.
4. When the score is tight or when your opponent makes a come back from being behind the score do you give up?  You need more determination.

These are some examples of the mental aspect of tennis that we need to start developing even as a beginner if want to see success in the future.

[commander ians]

yep tnx. hhmmm... siguro di ko alam kung ano ba tlg yang mental game na yan. sa singles match madalas ginagawa mo gumagawa ng patterns attack the short ball then approach the net. i dont know im just prakticing all the types of shots in simlation style. ang pressure ko sa sarili ko dapat mgawa ko dapat ang goal ko ng consistent. di ko alam kung part yun ng mental game.

Yung patterns that you mentioned those are strategies and tactics of tennis, pero mahirap gawin yan during pressure situation na in a match, you need mental toughness to execute them well.  Siguro kung hanggang recreation lang talaga tennis mo and you don't have any plans to join competitive tournaments then I guess okay lang not to consider the mental aspect of the game and just play for the fun of it.

But if you want to be a little bit serious then paying attention to your mental game now while you're starting will pay you dividends later on.  So ano nga ba ang mental toughness?  I found a good definition here...

From: http://www.mascsa.psu.edu/dave/Mental-Toughness.pdf

Definition: Mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

• Generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (e.g., competition, training, lifestyle) that are placed on you as a performer
  
• Specifically, to be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, resilient, and in control under pressure

Determination, focus, confidence, etcetera...those are things daw that we will have if we are mentally tough.  So HOW do we get them?  Simply pay attention on how you're thinking now when you play.  Even as beginners we can start improving on these areas...ask yourself what you do when these things happen in a game...

1. When you commit errors during a game, do you talk negatively to yourself?  Train yourself to replace them with positive affirming self-talk instead.
2. Do you get intimidated by "stronger" opponents? You need to get a different mental perspective and see it as an opportunity to learn rather than a inevitable loss to be dreaded.
3. When your girlfriend or someone unexpected shows up while you're playing do you get distracted?  Paano kung nag-iingay si Moonaster sa background? You need to learn focus.
4. When the score is tight or when your opponent makes a come back from being behind the score do you give up?  You need more determination.

These are some examples of the mental aspect of tennis that we need to start developing even as a beginner if want to see success in the future.

hahaha. nice Mordecai. 

[edreams11]

2. Do you get intimidated by "stronger" opponents? You need to get a different mental perspective and see it as an opportunity to learn rather than a inevitable loss to be dreaded.

Nice tip mordecai, in addition to this, to be able to overcome this #2, you may want to concentrate looking at the ball and not the opponent. sa totoo lang bola naman ang kalaban mo eh hindi yung tao...

3. When your girlfriend or someone unexpected shows up while you're playing do you get distracted?  Paano kung nag-iingay si Moonaster sa background? You need to learn focus.

mikki, paktay! pano kung si _____ and dumating??? super distracted ka na hehehe practicin natin to bro!
[/quote]

nice tip mordecai! thanks for sharing!

[burosky]

Here's something to think about.  What is your definition of success?  Is it simply by winning your match?  If prior to a match you set a goal for yourself (for example, a goal could be as simple as not giving up on any point no matter what the score is where as before you have the tendency to give up) and you achieve that goal but you lost the match, would you still consider that a success?

[Mordecai]

Here's something to think about.  What is your definition of success?  Is it simply by winning your match?  If prior to a match you set a goal for yourself (for example, a goal could be as simple as not giving up on any point no matter what the score is where as before you have the tendency to give up) and you achieve that goal but you lost the match, would you still consider that a success?

Absolutely. That's what we call a "moral victory".  This is a very good point.  We may lose a match but if we performed better than before in our estimation then we have succeeded in something.  That's a big positive we can take with us as a motivation for the future.

[edreams11]

Here's something to think about.  What is your definition of success?  Is it simply by winning your match?  If prior to a match you set a goal for yourself (for example, a goal could be as simple as not giving up on any point no matter what the score is where as before you have the tendency to give up) and you achieve that goal but you lost the match, would you still consider that a success?

winning a match would be your absolute and ultimate goal. as your example clearly explains, you lose a match but you achieved something that was absent in your previous matches. take one step at time, do small checkpoints like (ill do split steps next match, or i'll attack the net or something). all checkpoints have milestone and your milestone would be like "i can now do agressive lob shots" or "i frequently hit the ball in my comfort zone" meaning its because of your improved footwork bec u do split steps. your improvement doesnt have to be a "big bang" overnight success. once you accomplished several milestones, then your ultimate goal is within your reach. this is your little successes to achieve a bigger success